Why you should dive Nitrox on your next liveaboard?

What’s the difference between air and Nitrox?

The air we breathe everyday is as a gas made of 21% oxygen, 78 nitrogen and 1% other gas.
Nitrox, also called enriched air, is a mix of the same gaz but in a different proportion, we enrich the air with extra oxygen so the oxygen proportion is bigger. Its name: Nitrox comes from the combination of Nitrogen and Oxygen.
We refer to Nitrox according to its oxygen percentage, for example a Nitrox 32 contains 32% oxygen and is the most commonly used.

What are the advantages of using Nitrox?

If you remember your Open Water theory class, the amount of nitrogen entering your tissues is what limits the time you can spend at a certain depth.
The more nitrogen in the body, the more we risk a decompression sickness. Using Nitrox allows the diver to have less nitrogen in his blood within a given diving time, which gives Nitrox divers many advantages:

• The ability to stay longer at a certain depth before reaching the same nitrogen blood level.
• For example, if you dive at 30 meters, you could spend about 20 minutes on air before a decompression stop becomes compulsory, 30 minutes with a nitrox 32 and 40 minutes with a nitrox 36!
• Having less nitrogen in your body also means your surface intervals could be shorter (which is a big advantage in some situation when you want to squeeze in 2 dives in a limited time).

• I’m planning to dive with my friend who dives one air, what’s the point diving nitrox? Even if you follow the same dive profile as air divers, you will be far less tired then if you were diving on air and far safer as you will be further away from a risk of decompression sickness.
• The nitrogen tissues desaturation is what tires you so much after a long dive. The less you have nitrogen in your blood, the less tired you will fill.

What are the disadvantages of using Nitrox?

The “depth level” notion is the main disadvantage of Nitrox: the less nitrogen in your nitrox, the more oxygen you breathe. Oxygen becomes toxic with depth and it is important not to exceed a certain partial pressure or you risk in water-convulsions (which may lead to drowning!) These events are extremely rare and easily avoidable if you follow the brief. Nitrox is safer than air if used within its limits.

Can I dive deeper with Nitrox?

It is generally believed that Nitrox is used for very deep dives, but the reality is that it is a gas allowing longer diving time in mid-deep waters, perfect for recreational dives between 20 and 30 meters deep.
The only thing you need to know to dive using Nitrox is that beyond a specific depth, the oxygen becomes toxic. Nitrox being rich in oxygen, it becomes dangerously toxic, faster (less deep) than normal air.
But don’t get scared, after your course, you will know very well what will be your maximum depth on any given nitrox mix and plan your dive accordingly to stay safe!

Can I dive longer with Nitrox?

Nitrox will make your NDL (no deco limit) time longer but if you breath through your gas fast, you will still need to ascend before being “out of air”. So it will make your dive longer only if you are good with air consumption. While Nitrox has many advantages, reducing your breathing rate isn’t one of them and you should not see any noticeable change on your air consumption when switching to Nitrox.

Where can we dive with Nitrox?

Nitrox is used everywhere in the world, and it becomes really advantageous when doing multiple dives a day such as on dive cruises.

Do I need another certification to dive nitrox?

Yes! Because of the danger associated with diving nitrox, which are different from the dangers of diving with air (which you have learned during your open water course), you will need to learn a few more things to dive safely with Nitrox.
The Nitrox course is the most taught speciality in the diving industry, not only it is the easiest and quickest diving course, it can be done without even getting wet.
On the MV Smiling Seahorse, we teach Padi Enriched Air Nitrox for 6000 THB. It can be easily done onboard in a few hours but can also be done online before coming through PADI e-learning. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions!

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